Method of selvage-sewing.



H. A. BLANOHARD.

METHOD OF SELVAGE SEWING.

APPLIUATION FILED 0(JT.29, 1913A Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

HELEN A. BLANCHARD, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF SELVAGE-SEWING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 29, 1913.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

Serial No. 798,053.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HELEN A. BLANCIIARI), acitizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county ofPhiladelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Methods of Selvage-Sewing, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to a method of selvage sewing adapted for joiningtogether the edges of selvage knitgoods, but it may be used to advantagewith other kinds of fabric and for ornamental purposes; and theinvention consists, essentially, in the employment of heat adjacent thepoint of sewing selvage knitted goods for the purpose of de-curling orstraightening out the curl which is present along the edge of such goodsand which prevents the formation of a smooth, flat seam, but results ina seam more or less bulky and unsightly, as well as the formation of adistinct rib which, in the case of hosiery and undergarments, oftenproves an objection to the wearer.

My invention further consists of the method which I will hereinafterdescribe and claim.

In the accompanying drawings I show one embodiment of mechanism wherebymy method may be successfully carried out and wherein Figure 1 is a planView of the work'plate of a sewing machine, showing one embodiment ofapparatus for carrying out my proc ess. Fig. 2 is a sectional view onthe line XX of Fig. 1.

It is recognized by the manufacturers of selvage knitted goods that thepresent day machinery is imperfect to the extent that it does notproduce a sewed seam of smoothness and of little bulk. Also, that thethread of such goods is often drawn too tight and after a stocking orhose, for instance, is worn, the thread breaks, and the wearer discoversgaping holes, some of which extend substantially the length of thestockinm Much of the difficulty attending the formation of seams ofknitted goods has been the inability to control the curl which ispresent in the edges, and in solving the question of selvage-sewing, Ihave in View the absolute control of the curling up of the goods alongthe edges and the automatic straightening out of the edges so that thecurl disappears and the edge will lie flat upon the work-plate of themachine, at the point where the stitch-forming mechanism operates tounite the edge of the two pieces of fabric, say knit goods, the opposedor abutting edges of which are brought together in a manner well knownin this art.

lVhile Various types of machines have been constructed with a view ofcuring the defect above noted and reducing the curl or kink in the edgesof the goods as much as possible and thereby reducingthe bulkiness ofthe formed seam, it is the experience of the users of the formermachines that when a few stitches were taken, the knit goods would againcurl and thus produce a bulky seam. Ilxperiments along the line of sol--vagc-sewing of knitted goods, made plain to me the great necessity thatthe seam should be soft, flat and smooth so that it could be sewed tothe last stitch; or if any break *as found in the knitting of the goods,the operator could take in a stitch or two and thus cover the defect. Inthe course of my experiments I discovered that the curl present in theedges of knitted goods could be controlled and taken out of the goodsand the edge maintained in a smooth, flat, even condition, if heat wasapplied to the edge, and that if the stitehforming function wasperformed immediately and before the heat lost its effect upon the edgeof the knitted goods, the abutting edges of two pieces of fabric couldbe laid perfectly smooth and could be united by stitching while in thiscondition, thus producing a soft, lat seam of sightly appearance and onedevoid of the projecting rib which usually results from the operation ofthe machines as at present used for forming a scam in knitted goods andthe like. .\ccordingly, my process comprehends the application of heatto the edge of knitted goods in proximity to the stitch-formingmechanism whereby the heat acts upon the goods to take out the curl andto flatten the edge upon the work-plate, and to maintain the edge in aheated condition during the stitch-forming function, and before the edgehas an opportunity to re-curl because of the absence of the heat. Thiswill be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawingswherein I have illustrated suiticient of a standard sewing machine tomake the invention understood.

In the drawings, A, represents the workplate of the machine over whichthe fabric is fed in the usual manner, it being understood that such amachine will be provided with complementary stitch-forming mechanism,shown generally at B, and appropriate fabric feeding mechanism, G,neither of which forms any part of my present invention. On theundersideof the work-plate, A, I attach or apply in any well knownmanner a heating medium, E, for the purpose of imparting heat to thatportion of the work-plate over which the adjacent edges of the pieces ofknitted goods to be joined are caused to pass on their way to thestitchforming mechanism.

I may use any desired agency for generating or imparting the heat to thework-plate and the purpose of which heat is to take the curl or kink otuof the edges of the fabric as the same passes over the plate and justbefore the seaming of the edges of the goods is completed, but for thesake of cleanliness, I prefer to employ electricity as the medium forheating the plate and the guides through which the curled edges of thegoods are caused to pass. To this end I have shown a casing, F, on theunder part of the workplate, which casing carries any suitable form ofresistance coil, G, or other medium capable of being heated when acurrent of electricity is sent through it, said coil or medium havingits opposite poles connected to binding posts, a a, to which latter theterminals of the usual conductors from a source of electricity may beattached, in any manner well known in this art, whereby when the currentis turned on the resistance coil is heated and the heat of this coil isimparted to the work-plate over which the pieces of goods with the edgescurled are caused to pass, by the feeding mechanism of the machine.

I prefer that the curled edges of the goods shall pass between suitableguides, b-b, and that the inner ends of these guides shall be in theform of resilient tongues which terminate in proximity to thepresser-footand feeding mechanism of the machine, between which tonguesthe curled edges of the pieces of fabric are caused to pass. Theseguides or plates, 12-6, over or between which the pieces of fabric arecaused to pass by the feeding mechanism, are also heated and hence heatis transmitted to the curled edges of the goods as the latter pass overthe plates and pass through the tongues formed at the forward endthereof. The application of heat to the curled edges of the goods, as Ihave established by practical experiment, causes said edges tostraighten out and lie smooth on the work-plate, like a plain piece ofcloth goods, and this allows me to sew over close to the edge, even tothe last stitch of the selvage, if desired.

As before stated, I prefer to use electricity as the heating agencybecause there is less danger of the goods being soiled, as by carbonwhich might be produced if other forms of heat are employed, and byusing any of the well known form of rheostats, H, I am able to regulatethe amount of heat at pleasure.

It will be understood, of course, that I do not limit my invention tothe heat produced from electricity, but that I consider my invention toinclude any and all methods and agencies of heating the work-plate, orthe part over or through which the curled edges of the goods are causedto pass, it being only essential that the heating shall be continued toa point as close to the needle as possible so as not to give the edges achance to cool and re-curl, as they would if the goods had to travel anyconsiderable distance over an unheated portion of the plate or guidebefore reaching the stitch-forming mechanism.

By the method described, I am enabled to obtain a perfect seam withrapid sewing as the heat has the function of pushing out orstraightening the curl in the edges of the pieces of goods to be unitedand thus holds the edges in perfect alinement at all times and preparesthe edges of the opposed pieces of fabric so that they may be broughttogether for seaming in a perfectly flat condi tion, resulting in asoft, fiat and smooth seam, sewed close to the edge, and dispensing withany bulkiness in the seam, and producing a seam which will not break itsthread and will leave no projection or rib as the sewing is clear andplain and the operator can observe at all times the operation of thestitch-forming mechanism, the same as on any plain piece of cloth.

In the drawingI have shown the workplate of the machine as beinginclined at one of the corners, which accordingly inclines the casingcontaining the resistance coil or heater and the guides 79-4), but theforward ends of these guides are bent so i that they shall besubstantially parallel with the major portion or top surface of theguide plate. This, however, is but an arbitrary arrangement and may bedeparted from, if desired.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Let-.

ters Patent is 1. The method herein described of selvage it tendency tocurl, said method consisting,

essentially, in subjecting said edges to the action of heat for thepurpose of removing the curl and flattening out the edge and 5 thenuniting the edges by stitching before said edges lose their heat andreturn to normal curled condition.

4t. The method herein described of joining the edges of pieces ofknitted goods, said 10 method consisting, essentially in straighteningout the curl and laying the edges flat and smooth by the zipplicution ofheat, and uniting the edges by stitching before they are allowed to cooland re-curl.

In testimony whereof I utlix my signa- 5 ture in presence o't twowitnesses.

HELEN A. BLANCHARD.

\Vitnesses HELEN BIESTER, iVIAnoAmrr H. EMnRsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington. D. C.

